iphone iOS26

[jazz4cash]

Someone posted in snother thread that iOS upgrades included enhanced call screening features. I checked and my iphone 14 was about 6 versions old even though I have auto update enabled. The call screening is just meh but I am more distracted by a dozen other changes that I didn’t ask for and it’s just a pain to relearn how to do stuff.

I was shocked/alarmed at the enhanced capability of my Blink cameras that are 2.5 years old. I have a cooler on our deck just outside the door. I can open the door, lean out and grab a beer from the cooler without actually going out. The Blink cams are motion activated and would normally push an alert to my phone “motion detected camera X”. Since this upgrade the alert says “someone is bending over at camera X” when I grabbed my beer. I suppose Blink upgrades are involved too. This makes me think about cutting back on personal tech.

 

[TheWizard]

I see...

 

[audreyh1]

I know DH loves his advanced call screening. I haven’t upgraded yet but I know it is inevitable.

 

[Out of Steam]

I know DH loves his advanced call screening. I haven’t upgraded yet but I know it is inevitable.

My wife's phone was upgraded this week. While she wasn't crazy about the idea, she said that she hasn't found any issues or annoyances.

Of course, both of our phones are old enough not to support the various AI features.

 

[Masquernom]

I like the upgraded call screening. I have it set so that if somone calls that isn't in my contact list, it doesn't ring and goes straight to voice mail. The only issue is when I'm waiting for a contractor or service person to return a call, I have to go into the settings and turn that screening off, so the phone rings.

 

[Sojourner]

Someone posted in snother thread that iOS upgrades included enhanced call screening features. I checked and my iphone 14 was about 6 versions old even though I have auto update enabled. The call screening is just meh but I am more distracted by a dozen other changes that I didn’t ask for and it’s just a pain to relearn how to do stuff.

So you think iOS 26 call screening is "just meh"? It literally has reduced the number of spam calls and texts I get in any given week by 90-95%. As I sit here writing this, I can't even remember the last time I actually received a spam call or text on my iPhone 13. Maybe one text about two weeks ago? Are there other new iOS features and functions that I don't particularly like or use that much? Sure... but the spam filtering alone makes iOS 26 a game changer for me and well worth the few minor annoyances which I can pretty easily ignore.

 

[TheWizard]

Google call screening on recent Pixel phones is good also.

Broadening the topic a bit, it's true that most smartphones of either type have incremental upgrades year after year. So if you upgrade your phone to a new one after 4-5 years, there could be a fair number of new features to learn up on.

Some folks, most often older ones sadly, seem to have difficulty adjusting to these upgrade changes.
I almost hesitate to say this, but we might have to send them over to the "Signs of Mental Decline" thread.

I'm an engineer (ret) so tech upgrades amuse me.
I like playing with my Pixel 10 Pro's infrared thermometer and associated app, for instance...

 

[statsman]

So you think iOS 26 call screening is "just meh"? It literally has reduced the number of spam calls and texts I get in any given week by 90-95%. As I sit here writing this, I can't even remember the last time I actually received a spam call or text on my iPhone 13. Maybe one text about two weeks ago? Are there other new iOS features and functions that I don't particularly like or use that much? Sure... but the spam filtering alone makes iOS 26 a game changer for me and well worth the few minor annoyances which I can pretty easily ignore.

I hadn't even noticed the iOS 26 call screening on my DW's and my iPhone 13s. That may be because we don't get spam calls or texts all that often. I would say less than one a month in 2025.

Now, I do appreciate them adding the ability (finally!) to disable the opening of the camera on the lock screen via a swipe. I would constantly and not purposefully bring up the camera as I slid my iPhone into my pants pocket. When I would take the phone out of my pocket, it would be quite warm because the damn camera was trying to focus in the darkness of my pocket. While I dislike a fair amount of the UI changes in iOS 26, being able to disable the lock screen camera via swipe is a huge plus for me.

 

[tutan]

Now, I do appreciate them adding the ability (finally!) to disable the opening of the camera on the lock screen via a swipe. I would constantly and not purposefully bring up the camera as I slid my iPhone into my pants pocket. When I would take the phone out of my pocket, it would be quite warm because the damn camera was trying to focus in the darkness of my pocket. While I dislike a fair amount of the UI changes in iOS 26, being able to disable the lock screen camera via swipe is a huge plus for me.

Thank you! Very annoying that camera would just turn on. It really doesn’t take that much longer to unlock, find and open the app.

 

[TheWizard]

I hadn't even noticed the iOS 26 call screening on my DW's and my iPhone 13s. That may be because we don't get spam calls or texts all that often. I would say less than one a month in 2025.

Now, I do appreciate them adding the ability (finally!) to disable the opening of the camera on the lock screen via a swipe. I would constantly and not purposefully bring up the camera as I slid my iPhone into my pants pocket. When I would take the phone out of my pocket, it would be quite warm because the damn camera was trying to focus in the darkness of my pocket. While I dislike a fair amount of the UI changes in iOS 26, being able to disable the lock screen camera via swipe is a huge plus for me.

Late model Pixel phones allow camera to be activated at any time by a quick double punch on the power button.
Much less likely to happen by accident...

 

[statsman]

Thank you! Very annoying that camera would just turn on. It really doesn’t take that much longer to unlock, find and open the app.

On my iPhone 13, I can access the camera from the control center (right corner swipe) while the phone is locked. So, right corner swipe, click on the camera app. I don't need to unlock the phone.

 

[MTB4me]

I’ve set my iPhone 14 to open the camera with two quick taps on the back of the phone. 3 quick taps gets me the flashlight. Very handy, especially for the camera when I have thick gloves on.

 

[jazz4cash]

So you think iOS 26 call screening is "just meh"? It literally has reduced the number of spam calls and texts I get in any given week by 90-95%. As I sit here writing this, I can't even remember the last time I actually received a spam call or text on my iPhone 13. Maybe one text about two weeks ago? Are there other new iOS features and functions that I don't particularly like or use that much? Sure... but the spam filtering alone makes iOS 26 a game changer for me and well worth the few minor annoyances which I can pretty easily ignore.

How could that work? I think I’m getting just as many calls (8-12 per day) but they go to voicemail instead. A few get through and ring the phone so I’m going back to the nuclear setting (phone does not ring but they all go to voicemail). I think more of the calls are flagged as Potential Scam which involved Verizon database but they still come through. Latest pattern is 2-3 robo calls from the same person but different numbers.